Chapter11801,Ihavejustreturnedfromavisittomylandlord--thesolitaryneighbourthatIshallbetroubledwith.Thisiscertainlyabeautifulcountry!InallEngland,IdonotbelievethatIcouldhavefixedonasituationsocompletelyremovedfromthestirofsociety.Aperfectmisanthropist'sheaven:andMrHeathcliffandIaresuchasuitablepairtodividethedesolationbetweenus.Acapitalfellow!HelittleimaginedhowmyheartwarmedtowardshimwhenIbeheldhisblackeyeswithdrawsosuspiciouslyundertheirbrows,asIrodeup,andwhenhisfingersshelteredthemselves,withajealousresolution,stillfartherinhiswaistcoat,asIannouncedmyname.`MrHeathcliff!'Isaid.Anodwastheanswer.`MrLockwood,yournewtenant,sir.Idomyselfthehonourofcallingassoonaspossibleaftermyarrival,toexpressthehopethatIhavenotinconveniencedyoubymyperseveranceinsolicitingtheoccupationofThrushcrossGrange:Iheardyesterdayyouhadhadsomethoughts--'`ThrushcrossGrangeismyown,sir,'heinterrupted,wincing.`Ishouldnotallowanyonetoinconvenienceme,ifIcouldhinderit--walkin!'The`walkin'wasutteredwithclosedteeth,andexpressedthesentiment,`Gotothedeuce':eventhegateoverwhichheleantmanifestednosympathizingmovementtothewords;andIthinkthatcircumstancedeterminedmetoaccepttheinvitation:Ifeltinterestedinamanwhoseemedmoreexaggeratedlyreservedthanmyself.Whenhesawmyhorse'sbreastfairlypushingthebarrier,hedidputouthishandtounchainit,andthensullenlyprecededmeupthecauseway,calling,asweenteredthecourt:`Joseph,takeMrLockwood'shorse;andbringupsomewine.'`Herewehavethewholeestablishmentofdomestics,Isuppose,'wasthereflectionsuggestedbythiscompoundorder.`Nowonderthegrassgrowsupbetweentheflags,andcattlearetheonlyhedge-cutters.Josephwasanelderly,nay,anoldman:veryold,perhaps,thoughhaleandsinewy.`TheLordhelpus!'hesoliloquizedinanundertoneofpeevishdispleasure,whilerelievingmeofmyhorse:looking,meantime,inmyfacesosourlythatIcharitablyconjecturedhemusthaveneedofdivineaidtodigesthisdinner,andhispiousejaculationhadnoreferencetomyunexpectedadvent.WutheringHeightsisthenameofMrHeathcliff'sdwelling.`Wuthering'beingasignificantprovincialadjective,descriptiveoftheatmospherictumulttowhichitsstationisexposedinstormyweather.Pure,bracingventilationtheymusthaveupthereatalltimes,indeed;onemayguessthepowerofthenorthwindblowingovertheedge,bytheexcessiveslantofafewstuntedfirsattheendofthehouse;andbyarangeofgauntthornsallstretchingtheirlimbsoneway,asifcravingalmsofthesun.Happily,thearchitecthadforesighttobuilditstrong:thenarrowwindowsaredeeplysetinthewall,andthecornersdefendedwithlargejuttingstones.Beforepassingthethreshold,Ipausedtoadmireaquantityofgrotesquecarvinglavishedoverthefront,andespeciallyabouttheprincipaldoor;abovewhich,amongawildernessofcrumblinggriffinsandshamelesslittleboys,Idetectedthedate`1500',andthename`HaretonEarnshaw'.Iwouldhavemadeafewcomments,andrequestedashorthistoryoftheplacefromthesurlyowner;buthisattitudeatthedoorappearedtodemandmyspeedyentrance,orcompletedeparture,andIhadnodesiretoaggravatehisimpatienceprevioustoinspectingthepenetralium.Onestepbroughtusintothefamilysitting-room,withoutanyintroductorylobbyorpassage:theycallithere`thehouse'preeminently.Itincludeskitchenandparlour,generally;butIbelieveatWutheringHeightsthekitchenisforcedtoretreataltogetherintoanotherquarter:atleastIdistinguishedachatteroftongues,andaclatterofculinaryutensils,deepwithin;andIobservednosignsofroasting,boiling,orbaking,aboutthehugefireplace;noranyglitt...